Fred Child

SPOKEN WORD ACTOR

Fred Child is the host of American Public Media's, Performance Today the most-listened-to classical music radio show in America. Fred is also the commentator and announcer for Live from Lincoln Center, the only live performing arts series on television.

Fred also hosted NPR's "Creators @ Carnegie," a program of wide-ranging performers in concert at Carnegie Hall, including Brian Wilson, David Byrne, Randy Newman, Dawn Upshaw, Youssou N'Dour, Caetano Veloso, Emmylou Harris, and others. Before going to NPR, Fredwas Music Director and Director of Cultural Programming at WNYC in New York, host of a live daily performance and interview program on WNYC, and for 10 years, a host at Oregon Public Broadcasting.

In recent years, Fred has hosted a series of important live national concert broadcasts, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic's first ever concerts from Walt Disney Hall, the 2003 season-opening concert at Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonic live at Carnegie Hall, the New York Philharmonic's world premiere of John Adams's "On the Transmigration of Souls," the Last Night of the Proms from the Royal Albert Hall in London, New Year's concerts by the New York Philharmonic, Seiji Ozawa's final concert with the Boston Symphony at Tanglewood, and James Levine's debut as Music Director of the Boston Symphony.

Fred's CD reviews appear on All Things Considered, his classical music reports appear on Morning Edition and Weekend Edition. He's been a contributor to Billboard magazine, and a commentator for BBC Radio 3.

While growing up in Portland, Oregon, Fred studied classical piano. He also dabbles in guitar, percussion, and the bagpipes. His percussion band opened for the Grateful Dead at the Oakland Coliseum. He has narrated works at the Aspen Festival, with the Virginia Symphony, and with the U.S. Marine Band. His rare public performances include percussion with guitarist Sharon Isbin, and piano four-hands duets with Andre-Michel Schub.